Priceless
by Iamastrangerthing
Summary: Katniss didn't realize how much Gale meant to her until she almost lost him. ( One shot. Everthorne)


**Just to clarify, this is set 6 months before The Hunger Games. It will be Katniss/Gale or Everthorne though not too much though, it's a short story**

It was just me and Gale walking into a dandelion filled meadow, a dead rabbit slung over my back, and then it wasn't. We were both on our knees gathering edible plants for a stew, when I heard a distant growling. I shushed Gale and we both stopped and cocked our heads toward the trees behind us. Sure enough, ''Grrrrrrrrrrrr.'' It was the low growl of a wild dog. Then i saw them.

About 50 feet away, I counted 5 dogs( that I could see), black and each 3 ½ feet long with sharp teeth dripping with saliva. One was even foaming. Rabies. I knew if we got bit by it, we would be goners. No medicine my mother could give us would help.

Gale and I slowly stood up. No sudden movements. I reached for my bow, slowly, it was 5 feet away from me. My fingers almost touched it when the first dog sprinted towards us.

''Run!'' I yelled grabbing my bow and leaving my rabbit. Gale was already ahead of me.

''To a tree!'' he yelled. I ran towards a large oak with low branches when suddenly I tripped over a large rock and toppled over. I screamed. The dogs were closing in. _Why?_ I thought. _Why does it have to end like this. Oh Prim._ She will be devastated. Whos going to feed her and my mom? Gale has 4 sibling and a mother to feed. Suddenly, I felt hand on me. Gale! Why had he helped me? The dogs had to be 15 meters away now. I felt him haul me up and push me.

''Go Katniss! I'll be right behind you!'' I half ram, half limped away when I heard a cry. One dog had jumped on Gale and the others were not far behind. I gasped and almost panicked.

''GALE!'' I fumbled with an arrow and shot the dog in the head. Then I shot 2 more. The dogs backed up a bit and I ran to Gale hauling him to the oak as fast as we could. I pushed him up and climbed after him. The dogs gathered around the trunk of the tree. Great. We were stuck, at least for awhile. I had no idea why those dogs had attacked us. Usually if you leave them alone, they leave you alone. Oh well. I had more important things to attend to.

''Gale, are you ok?'' I said, shook up and panicked.

He grunted in pain. ''Not really. It got me on the chest.''

''Was it the foaming one?'' I asked in horror.

''No, thank God, it was the biggest one. At least he scratched and didn't bite me''

''How did you know it was a he?''

''I saw its underside.''

''Oh.'' I said and blushed. When the subject came to the Human Body, I always got uncomfortable. Gale looked amused at my red face. '' Then a painful grimace contorted his face. ''Let me…. take a look.'' He slowly slipped his shirt ( which was shredded in the front), and I saw 4 bloody, quite long scratch marks on his lower chest and upper stomach and 5 smaller but just as bloody and deep ones on his shoulder. I suppressed the urge to leap from the branch off onto a nearby tree. ''It's bad huh Catnip?" Gale said, but his face was pale, and he looked ready to pass out from the sprint, climbing the tree, and blood loss. His head drooped a bit. ¨Gale? Gale stay with me!¨ His head snapped up. I tore some of my pants hem off and pressed it on his shoulder, tying it. Then I used his shirt remains to press on his chest. I had to get him out of this tree, and get him help. I assessed my options. I couldn't leave the tree and get help, Gale would pass out and fall out of the tree. I couldn't wait for help, no one except me and Gale left the fence. I had to get him to a temporary shelter, like a cave, and secure him. Then I could get better supplies from my mother at home. I looked down. The dogs were gone, but they were surely near, hanging back after I shot 3 of their own. I heard Gale moan, by try to hide it.

''Gale….. We're gonna have to get down this tree.''

He groaned. ''Do we have to?''

''Yes! You are hurt. Staying in this tree isn't going to heal you. Let's take it slow.''

It took 15 minutes of groaning( from Gale), and panting( from me), but, soon we touched the ground both of us with matching red and white faces. We stumbled along, probably scaring away all the game from a 50 foot radius. Gale was getting paler and paler. Just as I was about to set him down to rest, I spotted a small cave, half underground. I start to lug Gale to it. ''Come on, come on, just a bit longer.''

''It….hurts.'' his voice is weak and tired.

''I know''

Finally we reach the cave, right before Gale passed out cold. I set him down as carefully as I could manage, and realize he had been bleeding much more than I thought. I started to panic looking at him. I couldn't leave now. He could bleed out before I'm halfway home. I couldn't move him anymore either. But I had to wake him up! He might never wake again if he got into a deep enough trance. I tried to breathe slowly, but I felt the painful sting of tears come to my eyes. I don't want Gale to die, but the odds were not in my favor. He was on the brink of malnourishment, like so many of us. Even if I managed to get him bandaged up, there was a good chance that he could die of infection. I couldn't lose Gale, I just couldn't. I sniffed and looked around for something, anything that could help. Then I saw it. The Lantana plant. It was one of the most smelly plants ever made, and the closest thing to smelling salts here. I ran out, picked one, and came back. I held it under Gale's nose and his eyes flew open. ''Ughh, get that away from me.''

''Gale!'' I couldn't help myself, I flew to him and hugged him.

''Careful Catnip, I'm still hurt.'' he said groaning.

''I'm sorry,'' I said, my face as red as Gale's blood. ''I just-''

''Just what Catnip?'' He raised one eyebrow, smirking

''Shut up. We need to get you healed.'' I looked around in the brush and found some pain killing herbs. I pressed them on the wounds, and made him chew the rest. Then I used my canteen to wash off the cuts, which made him grimace in pain. He gripped my hand and I didn't let go. After the hard part was over, I turned my hunting pants into shorts to bandage him. ''Gale,'' I said. ''I really thought I was going to lose you for a moment. I was scared.''

''No need, you can't get rid of me that easily.'' He smiled.

''I wasn't trying to. I was just so _worried.''_ I looked up at him. ''Why did you do it? Save me?''

''Plenty of reasons. You have a family, you're my friend, and…''

''And….."

"I- care about you Katniss.'' He said. I look up, surprised.

''You…..like me?''

He nodded, looked down. ''Are you uncomfortable now?'' He looked like he expected me to say yes. But then I realized something. My fear for Gale's life, our more than friendship, how I blushed around him sometimes. I realized Gale is priceless and that however Gale felt about me, I had felt the same way, I just never knew it. But I did now.

I pulled Gale's chin up, and kissed him. He was surprised for a moment, but didn't hesitate to kiss me back. Our kiss was filled with passion and longing and pent up feeling finally surfacing. I ran my hands through his hair, and he put hands on my neck, pulling me even closer. His lips were soft, yet dry and his hair fluffy in my calloused hands. We pulled apart, softly breathing each other's air. I wanted to be in this moment forever.

''Suddenly, I feel a lot better'' Gale said and I laugh.

''We still have to get out of here, you know.'' But I smiled.'' The bleeding won't stop for long and you need medicine.''

''Another kiss would be nice.''

''Fine. One more.'' I kissed him quick and soft. ''Let's leave, if you're up for it?''

''Lets go slow this time.''

''We _were_ going slow!'' I say, exasperated

I hoped we could make it, since Gale was still tired and hurt. Somehow, I know he could. Our kiss had revitalized him, and me too. I felt like something had been filled in my heart, a new door opened. I hauled Gale up slowly with strength I didn't know I had and we stumbled out.

''Here we go.''

 **And fin! How did you guys like that? I have always liked Everthorne, and this just came to me randomly. Please like and review!**


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